Thread-advancing reel



Dec. 24, 1946. L. A. COREY THREAD-ADVANCING REEL Filed May 27, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m i L I; a $1 w Y .R C E as IJ I m A. KM 1 m N m II I. .I m A IL w w I L m I mm .0 wh IL mm 5 IN 8 3 o 2L m b 7 mm mm Q f R E 3 8 I J mm M@ Q. o a v mm 8 m7 om S t 2 m on R 8 I I I -I I. I m I @N 2) MM E mm I mm I MN 1 @F /r/ 1 a Q. NNN Q NN & NN I 251% s; y I M A a 2 mm mm w N Om N O z s g x 5 mm m K.

Dec. 24, 1946. L. A. COREY THREAD-ADVANCING REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filgd May 27, 1944 v INVENTOR BY LORIN A. COREY 1 K g ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 24, 1946 THREAD-ADVANCING REEL Lorin A. Corey, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to Industrial Rayon Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application May 27, 1944, Serial No. 537,557

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a processing apparatus of the thread-storing, thread-advancing type intended for processing and handling of thread, filaments, bands, ribbons, etc.

More particularly, the invention relates to a cantilever type reel, i. e., a reel supported and driven from one end only with its other end free and unobstructed. Reels of this type are used, for example, in the production of viscose rayon by the continuous process. They function by virtue of an offset and inclined relation between the axes of the members supporting the thread, as shown and described in the Knebusch Patent 2,210,914.

In the continuous process of producing viscose rayon, cantilever reels are advantageously used in the performance of a series of individual processing steps. Drying of the viscose yarn or thread is one of these processes and it is performed by advancing the wet yarn or thread over the periphery of a reel through whose interior a heating fluid is circulated. However, the thread has an inherent tendency to shrink on drying and this tendency sometimes has the effect of springing the reel shaft to destroy the onset and inclined relation between the reel members supporting the thread. It is desirable, therefore, to support the reel members in a manner so as to obviate any change from their original relation.

Cantilever reels used in drying of thread, as well as in other treating processes, are desirably made of a light material having good heat transfer qualities, such as aluminum. Their construction should also provide for a heat transfer area which is the same over the entire reel periphery to provide uniform drying. Also, the circulation of the heating fluid should be substantially constant and effective to provide a continuous and constant transfer of heat.

The present invention provides a drying reel in which a rapid and constant transfer of heat is had. This is done by a means adapted to withdraw the heating fiuid substantially immediately after it is cooled. The invention further provides a supporting structure or frame that substantially entirely eliminates the springing of the reel members. Also, the construction of the supporting structure lends itself to easy handling as, for instance, in machining operations and for purposes of replacement of parts.

These and other novel and advantageous features will be apparent from the following description and drawings where:

Figure 1 is a plan view in section of the threadadvancing, thread-storing cantilever type reel employed in the drying of thread or the like;

Figure 2 isan elevatlon'partly in section of the apparatus of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view partly in section of a part of an alternate supporting frame member;

Figure 4 is a view taken on line A-A of a heating fluid withdrawing means employed in the apparatus;

Figure 5 is a modification of Figure 4.

The thread-advancing reel of Figures 1 and 2 comprises two reel members in and II operating on the principle of the reel shown and described in the Knebusch Patent 2,210,914. The two reel members l0 and II are rigid and of substantially circular cross section. Their peripheries are formed of spaced, longitudinally extending'bar members l2 and I3, respectively. The bar members l2 of reel member I0 and I3 of reel member H are interleaved in interdigitating relation. Reel members l0 and l I are mounted for rotation about axes which are offset and inclined to each other so as to cause the reel members to advance thread in spaced, generally helical turns from the receiving end of the periphery to the other end.

Spaced, longitudinally extending bar members l3 of reel member H also form the periphery of hollow cylinder It. The cylinder is provided with a front closure member I5 and a rear closure member It to form an enclosed chamber I8. Closure members l5and l6 also serve to support the reel member ll concentrically on shaft I! which passes through its interior. Furthermore, by. sealing the closure members against the shaft,- chamber l8 becomes fluid tight enabling the use of a drying medium as hot water, steam, hot air, etc. The reel being described, however, is gen erally best suited for use with hot water although it may be utilized with any other suitable heating medium. Also, an electrical heating element can readily be provided within the reel.

Closure members l5 and I6 contain concentric wedge-shaped recesses about shaft i1 adapted to receive wedge-shaped sealinggaskets fl, 2| made of a suitable pliable material such as lead. In the closure member IS. the sealing gasket 2| is additionally backed up by a ring 21 bearing against a shoulder 24 of the shaft l1. Gasket 20 is forced into the recess in closure l5 and maintained therein by means of a cap 22. The cap is drawn into tight-relation with the gasket by means of a screw 23 threaded into the front portion of shaft II. By drawing tightly on the screw 23, the leadsealing gaskets frictionally bind reel member H to shaft ll causing. the reel to rotate therewith.

Shaft ll has a hollow core passage 25 and another passage 26 concentric therewith, both extending throughout substantially the entire length of the shaft. The shaft is desirably plugged at the unsupported end for a short distance back. The plug extends into the concentric shaft passage 26 slightly beyond opening 30. Opening 30, near the closure member l5, serves as an inlet for heating fluid to chamber l3. The plugged end of shaft i1 is drilled out and tapped to permit the threading of screw 23 therein.

The rear closure member, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, has an inwardly extending boss 3| concentric with and encompassing shaft l'l. Within the boss is an annular recess 32 about the shaft and about the outlet opening 29, joining the shaft passage 26 and the recess. The boss, in turn, has a radial portion 33 extending to substantially the cylinder wall. In this radial portion is a passage 34 joining the opening 29 in shaft H and the interior of chamber l8. Thus, heating fluid can be supplied to the chamber l8 through the inlet 30 and withdrawn through the outlet passage 34. If the heating medium is hot water, a single exhaust or outlet passage may prove sufficient since it is continuously immersed in the liquid. The circulation of the hot water will be outwardly to the cylinder wall and rearwardly to the outlet 34.

The heating fluid transfers heat through the aluminum cylinder wall of the chamber to the longitudinal members comprising the reel and to the thread being advanced thereon. Upon yielding heat to the cylinder wall or, shortly thereafter, the liquid is withdrawn at substantially the region of heat yieldvor transfer, that is, from adjacent the wall of the chamber. The

heating fluid is thus not permitted to be chilled to any great extent and, as a result, to create strata of different heat levels within the cylinder. Furthermore, the radial portion 33 does not obstruct any of the cylinder wall to diminish its heat transfer area.

Although in the illustration of Figure 1 the heating fluid entry is shown near the front of the chamber and the outlet near the back of the chamber, the reverse positioning of the inlet and utlet is substantially similarly effective in the irculation of the heating medium,

In Figure 5, the heating fluid withdrawing means may comprise a plurality of passages 34 tangentially extending from the annular recess 3? in the boss to the cylinder wall. This type of construction is preferred when the heating fluid used is steam and condensation occurs in the chamber for there, will always be at least one passage immersed in the condensate for effecting its withdrawal. By positioning the passages in a tangential manner, a scooping action is had facilitating the withdrawal of condensate during the rotation of the reel. 1 The withdrawal opening of each passage 34 may be enlarged, if desired, to form a greater scoop. Also, a pinrality of outlets will equalize the withdrawal of tion is resisted by that part of the shaft ll between the frame-supporting bearings.

Referring again to Figure 1, the second reel member In whose bar members are interleaved with those of reel member ll is mounted on an axis that is offset and inclined to the axis of reel member Ii. The second reel member, which may be termed -the eccentric reel member, is comprised of bar members l2 forming a rigid cagelike construction. The reel member ID is of generally circular cross section, like reel member II, and has its longitudinally extending bar members l2 secured at their unsupported ends to the reinforcing ring 35. The supported ends of the reel members merge into a flange 36. Flange 36 is fixed by means of screws 31 at desirable points adjacent its periphery to an eccentrically mounted hub 40. Hub 40 is mounted on antifriction bearings 4|, 42 positioned at its ends and themselves mounted on an eccentric sleeve 49 of frame member 41. The axis of the bore of' sleeve 49 is offset from and inclined to the axis of shaft ll. The wide spacing of the hub bearings is desirable inasmuch as the hub provides the only support for the eccentric reel member. Furthermore, such wide spacing of the bearings provides a support for the maintenance of the oflset and inclined relation between the reel members l0 and II.

To prevent contact between adjacent bar members of the reel, intermeshing gearlike members 43 and 44 are employed. Gear member 43 is concentrically mounted with respect to the shaft I1 and is held on reel H by means of screws 45. I

engagement of the drying reel where the interdigitating members do not contact each other. This type of driving means is shown and described in Patent 2,255,017 issued to G. P. Torrence et a1.

Supporting frame member 41 comprises two sections, a yoke section 48 and a sleeve section 49. The two sections may consist of a single casting as shown in Figure 3; however, it is Preferred that the sections be separable formachining purposes and assembly. The sleeve portion 49 of the frame member is eccentrically machined to provide the required offset and inclined relation of reel member l0. Sleeve 49 has at one end an antifriction bearing holding ring 52. The ring 52 encloses an antifriction bearing 53, and its sleeve extension isthreaded into th eccentric sleeve 43. The other end of sleeve 49 enlarges into a flange 5!. Flange Si is fixed, by meansof screws 50, to yoke 48. Bearing 53 is held in position by being forced against a locating ring washer 54 positioned against shoulder 24 of shaft H. The flange 5! is utilized for the purpose of mounting-the entire apparatus as a unit in a machine embodying a plurality of similar units as shown and described in the Torrence et al. Patent 2,217,716.

Yoke member 48 merges at its other end into a ring 55 enclosing an antifriction bearing 58. Bearing 56 is held in place by snap rings positioned on either side of the bearing and in the ring wall, and on the shaft by locating rings 51,

' fluid therebetween.

S! also on either side, each locating ring having set screws 59, 6B turned into the shaft. Time. frame member 4'! i mounted on an antifriction bearing 83 at the reel end and' an antifriction bearing 56 at the other end. Having bearings at either end of the frame member minimizes the flexing of that portion ofshaft'll projecting beyond the bearing 53, that is, that portion supporting reel member l0. Also, by the provision of bearings in each end of the frame-supporting member 61, which is of substantial length, the widest possible spacing of bearings is had and the danger of destroying the inclined and offset relation of the reel members is substantially ene tirely eliminated.

To facilitate the supplying of a heating fluid to the reel and its removal therefrom, there is provided a seal housing 62 fixed as by means of screws 8! (see Figure 2) to the flanged portion of the frame 4'! bearing holding ring 55. The housing 62 comprises two internal chambers, an inlet chamber 63 and an outlet chamber 84. A sealing gasket 65 is disposed between the housing and the annular rim 10 abutting the flange of ring 55 in order to prevent the escape of heating Within the housing 82, a rotatable sealing member 66 is fixed on the shaft by means of a set screw 81. Two carbon rings 88 and '89 forming a part of the sealing member 68 contact the inner faces I0, ll of annular rims or housing-82. Between each carbon ring and the intermediate downwardly extending wall portion of sealing member 86, which forms an annular channel in the seal housing, is disposed a flexible packing material 12, 13. This material is urged against the shaft, the carbon ring, and the seal member wall by coil springs I4, 15 preventing leakage of the heating fluid.

The inlet chamber 63 is at the rear of the housing 82 and shaft ll terminates therein. The shaft end has the core conduit 25 open and the annular conduit 203 closed, permitting only the entry of the heating fluid at that point. The exhaust or outlet is through the side of the housing 88 through outlet chamber 64, and through an opening 16 in the channel portion of the sealing member 88 joining the outlet chamber 64 with the concentric shaft passage 26. At the extreme end of the seal housing is a plugged opening 80 utilized for inspection purposes only.

Hot water or other heating fluid is supplied through the inlet chamber 63, shaft core passage 25 to the chamber It of reel member ii, and is withdrawn through chamber I8, outlet 34, the annular conduit 28 in shaft i1, and through the seal outlet chamber 64 and exhaust opening 11. In this fashion, a constant flow of drying fluid is maintained.

In either illustration, Figure 1 or Figure 3 of the frame support, a driving gear 78 is mounted on shaft H and within the yoke section. The gear is preferably placed adjacent the rear hearing 51 in order that in the event of any radial thrust, such thrust will be taken by the bearing and not the shaft. The drive gear '58 is held securely on the shaft by means of set screws 19.

The herein described embodiments of the invention are, of course, for purposes of illustration comprising two interdigitating sets of bar memonly; therefore, it is intended that the patent shall cover by the appended claims all features of patentable novelty that reside in the invention.

I claim:

i. A thread-storing, thread-advancing reel comprising two interdigitating sets of bar members, each set being mounted for rotation about an axis displaced in an inclined relation to the other, a supporting frame member for said sets of bar members, a shaft journaled in said frame member and projecting therethrough having heating fluid inlet and outlet means, a first reel member comprising a cylindrical chamber having a periphery of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members mounted coaxially with and upon said projecting portion of the shaft including the heating fluid inlet and outlet means, said chamber in said first reel member being adapted to receive and have drawn therefrom a heating fluid through said shaft inlet and outlet means, heating fluid withdrawing means in said chamber joining said shaft fluid outlet means, said heating fluid withdrawing means comprising an inwardly extending hub at one end of said chamber, said hub encompassing a shaft passing through the chamber and having an annular recess in its-body portion and around said shaft, said recess joining an outletmeans in said shaft, a conduit extending radially from said hub to substantially adjacent the cylindrical wall of the chamber joining said annular recess and the interior of said chamber, and a second reel member comprising a set a of spaced longitudinally extending bar members alternately disposed with respect to those of said first reel member rotatably mounted on said supporting frame member.

2. A thread-storing, thread-advancing reel bers, each set being mounted for rotation about an axis displaced in an inclined relation to the other, a supporting frame member for said sets of bar members, a shaft journaled in said frame member and projecting therethrough having heating fluid inlet and outlet means, a first reel member comprising a cylindrical chamber having a periphery of spaced, longitudinally extending bar members mounted coaxially with and upon said projecting portion of the shaft including the heating fluid inlet and outlet means, said chamber in said first reel member being adapted to receive and have drawn therefrom a heating fluid through said shaft inlet and outlet means, heating fluid withdrawing means in said chamber oining said shaftfluid outlet means, said heat ing fluid withdrawing means comprising an inwardly extending hub at one end of said chamber and around the shaft passing therethrough, said hub encompassing an outlet means in said shaft, said hub having an annular recess around said shaft and outlet means, a plurality of conduits joining said recess in said hub and extending tangentially to substantially adjacent the wall of said chamber, and a second reel member comprising a set of spaced longitudinally extending bar members alternately disposed with respect to those of said first reel member rotatably mounted on said supporting frame member.

- LORIN A. COREY. 

